I get to call Kaikoura home - I am blessed.
Manager - Marketing
Whale Watch Kaikoura

Sperm Whale Diving DeepBy Cameron Shaw

A question I get asked often is “When is the best time to come whale watching?” My first answer would be “Every day is a good day to come whale watching” after all we have the sperm whale feeding off our coastline all year round. It is a bachelor pad of male sperm whales that come here to feed upon the abundance of food which is found in the nutrient rich waters of the Kaikoura Canyon. The weather in New Zealand is often best during the months of October – March, so if you prefer the warmer kind of days then whale watching during the NZ summer is a good bet. During these month’s we most commonly have the opportunity to view pods of Orca as they pass by, usually in pods of between 6-12 individuals.

My second answer is for people who don’t mind weather that is a bit chillier. As mentioned the sperm whales are here all year round, but did you know that Kaikoura is also visited by many other migrating whales, like the humpback whales, pilot whales, blue whales and southern right whales?

During the months of June – August for instance humpback whales leave the cool Antarctic waters for the winter period and head further north to the warmer tropical waters of places like Tonga and Australia, stopping off in Kaikoura on their way for a rest before continuing on their huge journey.

For the best opportunity for not only seeing sperm whales but also migrating whales June to August in my option the best time to come whale watching. An added bonus being the beautiful view from out at sea of the Kaikoura ranges covered in snow and also the wonderful crisp blue sky winters days we can experience in Kaikoura during winter.

Either way (if the weather plays the game) every day is a good day to come whale watching. We run tours all year long and have a 95% success rate in seeing whales and if for some reason we are unable to locate a whale during the tour we give our passengers 80% of their money back!